Kelly Hayes
The Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office has raised $4,100 for YMCA of the Suncoast.
The fundraiser was part of the office’s monthly charity campaign headed by Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano. Fasano chose the organization for the month of February, and the donations will go to support the YMCA’s swimming lesson program.
“On behalf of the YMCA of the Suncoast and the Pasco County community, we would like to thank the Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office and all those that made donations in the month of February to help save lives,” said Julio Vega, District Vice President for YMCA of the Suncoast. “Children learning to swim is an essential skill every child must learn. Because of the support of others, the YMCA is in a better position to make sure children learn to swim this year.”
Fasano chose the program to promote water safety — a priority in Pasco County, which is bordered by the Gulf of Mexico and neighborhoods that have swimming pools and countless lakes. According to a press release from the office, “the importance of preparing young people to navigate safely in the water is a top priority.”
Florida ranked 6th in the U.S. for unintentional drowning deaths, according to the Florida Department of Health. But, from 2017 to 2019, Florida was ranked the highest in the U.S. for unintentional drowning deaths among children ages 1 to 4.
“The YMCA is the premier agency to provide swim lessons to young people in our community,” Fasano said. “It was our honor to help raise funds to support families who may not otherwise be able to afford water safety lessons. Many thanks to a very generous public for the donations they have made.”
In January, the office raised more than $6,000 for an anti-human trafficking charity, Bridging Freedom. The charity was chosen ahead of Tampa’s Super Bowl LV, an event often accompanied by an influx of human trafficking.
